APPT Macau: Big names create minefield for qualifiers on day 1C

We've saved the best for last with some of the world's biggest names in action on day 1C of the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino in Macau.

For the players - many of who are PokerStars qualifiers - this morning's massive thunderstorm added to the nerves already building as they prepared to take their seats along side some of the marquee players in poker.

How's this for a line-up? Headlining the 200-plus field, which will take the total field well above 500, are Team PokerStars Pros Joe Hachem (who final-tabled at the APPT High Roller event here last year), Lee "Final Table" Nelson, Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier and Hevad Khan.

Team PokerStars Pro Joe Hachem is in action today.

Six-time WSOP bracelet winner Men "The Master" Nguyen and his wife Van, who took out the 2008 WPT Celebrity Invitational, are playing today along side PokerStars Sponsored players Tony Hachem, Neil Arce, Franco Mabanta, Terrence Chan, Emad Tahtouh and Ivan Tan.

We're also delighted to announce that the hottest player in tournament poker today, John Phan, is a PokerStars Sponsored player for this event. Phan has been on a remarkable run in the past 12 weeks, winning two bracelets at the 2008 WSOP ($3000 No Limit Hold'em and $ 2500 Deuce-Seven Triple Draw Lowball), finishing fifth in the WPT Bellagio Cup main event then winning the WPT Legends of Poker in LA just over a week ago.

The world's number three ranked online player Shaun Deeb, who was part of the winning PokerStars World Cup of Poker USA team, is also playing today, as are PokerStars.net LAPT San Jose runner-up Max Steinberg, Hong Kong Poker League qualifiers Yun-Hsiang Terry Fan and Kam Keong (Simon) Lee plus Steve Silverman, who was third in the PokerStars.net LAPT event in San Jose.